Cape Fear Business Roundtable

2026 Economic Outlook with Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, UNCW Regional Economist

Cape Fear Business Roundtable is kicking off 2026 with an economic outlook from Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, Regional Economist with the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Tune in as Dr. Guettabi discusses the state of our regional and national economies heading into the new year.
Cape Fear Business Roundtable is hosted by Frank Williams and sponsored by Pioneer Strategies and Pioneer Specialties.

Velva Jenkins, CEO, YWCA Lower Cape Fear

Velva Jenkins, current CEO of YWCA Lower Cape Fear, is set to retire in January 2026. Tune in as Velva discusses the programs offered by the YWCA and how they positive impact women in our area.
Prior to joining the YWCA, Velva worked at Brunswick Community College for over 30 years. She began her career in economic and workforce development as the first director of the Small Business Center at BCC 1986. Under her leadership she launched the Small Business Center, the Brunswick County Small Business of the Year Award for entrepreneurs, the Brunswick County Leadership program in Brunswick County and secured over $1.5 million in grant funding for Brunswick Community College Economic and Workforce Development Division. She held numerous roles during her tenure at BCC, including Dean of Continuing and Workforce Development and Vice President for Continuing Education, Economic and Workforce Development.
She has served on a variety of boards and committees, including Brunswick Community College SACS Leadership Team, Brunswick Community Planning Council, NC Community College Adult Education Conference Committee, NC Community College Focus Industrial Training Conference Planning Committee, Brunswick Community College March of Dimes Champaign Team Captain, Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, South Brunswick Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Cape Fear United Way Board, UNCW Alumni Association Board of Directors, North Carolina Community College Systems Workforce Development Leadership, The Southeastern Economic Development Commission, Brunswick County Hospital Authority, The State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board, YWCA Lower Cape Fear, The Cape Fear Area Red Cross Board of Directors, and a member of The Link, Incorporated, Wilmington (NC) Chapter.
Velva has been honored with several awards, including the Distinguished Women Achievement Award, the Outstanding Citizens Award, and the YWCA Women of Achievement Education Award.
She has earned degrees in Business with a concentration in Marketing from the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a in Business Administration from Webster University.
Cape Fear Business Roundtable is hosted by Frank Williams and sponsored by Pioneer Strategies and Pioneer Specialties.

Thom Kelly, Executive Director, North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce

Thom Kelly is the newly minted executive director of the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds longtime executive director Dana Fisher, who departed after 15 years at the helm. Thom provides insight into how his career path prepared him for this role and shares thoughts on his future vision for the Chamber, which serves the business community in Leland, Belville, Winnabow, Navassa, Northwest, Sandy Creek and surrounding areas in northern Brunswick County. 

Tony Caggiano, ADAComplyGuy

Tony Caggiano, widely recognized as the ADA Comply Guy, is a leading expert in website accessibility and ADA compliance. With a deep understanding of digital inclusion laws and best practices, Tony has dedicated his career to empowering companies to create inclusive digital experiences and helping them avoid legal risks, improve customer experience, and unlock valuable opportunities like the Accessibility Tax Credit. Tony simplifies complex compliance requirements, helping businesses provide websites that are not only legally compliant but also welcoming to all users. His work reflects a commitment to making the internet accessible to all while driving business growth.

Jim Flock, Founder of JSF Industrial & President of the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership

This week's guest is Jim Flock, founder of JSF Industrial & president of the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership. Jim discusses how his 40+ years of manufacturing experience developed a passion for training and workforce development and outlines why he founded the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership, which has grown to approximately 70 members in four years. The partnership's next meeting is Wednesday, November 12, 2025 from 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at the McKeithan Center, located on Cape Fear Community College’s North Campus (click here for a map).
Jim has successfully developed and delivered advanced manufacturing curricula in areas such as machining, blueprint reading, GD&T, and metrology for both adult learners and youth programs. He currently teaches at Cape Fear Community College and Brunswick Community College, where he is known for creating engaging, hands-on learning environments that prepare students for careers in aerospace and precision manufacturing.
With a proven record of organizational leadership—including past service as Chairman of the Cape Fear Workforce Development Board—Jim brings a strategic perspective to workforce initiatives focused on inclusion, innovation, and regional economic growth. His work reflects a strong belief that manufacturing careers can be transformative, offering meaningful opportunities for families and communities across the region.

Franklin Rouse, State Farm

This week’s guest is Franklin Rouse, owner of Franklin Rouse State Farm in Leland. Franklin grew up in Morehead City and attended N.C. State University, where he earned a degree in business management. He opened Franklin Rouse State Farm agency in Leland in 2008. Franklin is active in both the community and the insurance industry and has served on multiple boards, including the N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association Board as Underwriting Committee Chair, the Department of Insurance Coastal Task Force and the N.C. State Farm Agents and Associates PAC Board. He is a former chair of the North Carolina Railroad Company Board and current board member. Tune in and listen to Franklin share how he has built a successful agency and offer tips for ensuring that coastal residents and businesses have the coverage they need.

Rick Paxton, Owner of Magnetic Marketing and Rick Paxton & Associates - Dream Vacations

This week's guest is Rick Paxton, owner of Magnetic Marketing, Inc. and Rick Paxton & Associates - Dream Vacations. Rick was born at James Walker Memorial Hospital in Wilmington and lived here until around second grade. He lived in Southeastern Virginia and Durham, N.C. until joining the United States Navy in 1985. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS in Communications (Public Relations) and also has degrees from American Military University and Syracuse University. 
Rick first dabbled in the marketing world while stationed in Northern California in the late 1980s. After graduating college, Rick worked in newspaper, radio and direct mail sales. During this time, he began providing promotional products for businesses. Eventually that grew into what is now Magnetic Marketing, Inc.
Magnetic Marketing offers indoor digital billboards and currently works in or is expanding into 15 markets across NC, SC and GA. In addition, Magnetic Marketing provides trade show booths of all sizes for any type of business. Also in the mix are various types of restaurant advertising options, Identity resolution and websites that generate sales for other types of businesses.

Judy Budd, ConnectCapeFear.com

NOTE: There is a technical glitch that makes it sound like Judy is talking over Frank. That's a technical glitch -- I promise you she wasn't doing so! We're trying to find out if the system we use to record can fix this. If so, we will upload a new video.
This week's guest is Judy Budd of ConnectCapeFear.com, an online networking directory focusing on New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender Counties. ConnectCapeFear.com is a central resource to learn about networking opportunities, find information on about local events, and seek out local non-profits and other ways to get involved in the community. If you're interested in getting more involved, visit ConnectCapeFear.com and sign up for their e-newsletter.
Judy has diverse experience in the business world, having worked for large corporations, entrepreneurs, and now being self-employed. These experiences have helped her grow in learning all aspects of a business organization. She is knowledgeable about organization, finance, sales and marketing. Judy has spent many years networking and serving on boards with the nonprofit sector and has been referred to as the "Networking Queen," the unofficial "Mayor," and the "Connector." She was the 2009 winner of the YWCA’s Women of Achievement award in the communications category and was listed in 2016 as a Top Female Executive. She retired from being the Associate Publisher of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal and Wilma Magazine in 2021 and wanted to create a networking directory. She approached Jenna Curry for a referral of who could help her get this done digitally, and the next thing that happened is Jenna became her partner after suggesting she expand the directory to include so many other categories. Together, they have grown this community resource website to include various organizations and a community calendar.

Victor Fernandes, owner of Fernandes Fit & author of "Reclaiming My Authentic Self"

This week's guest is Victor Fernandes, owner of Fernandes Fit, author of "Reclaiming My Authentic Self: A Journey from Fear to Freedom" and host of the "Fitness is Our Business" podcast. Tune in as Victor describes his career journey and shares how he helps busy professionals take control of their health and fitness to thrive in their demanding lives.

Keesha Starr, Owner of K Starr Coaching & Author of “The Bright Side of Monday”

This week’s guest is Keesha Starr, owner of K Starr Coaching and author of “The Bright Side of Monday.” Keesha is a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Coach with over 25 years of experience building teams in every type of business. Her training in ministry and leadership from the New Life Drama Company and traveling for seven years as a team coordinator eventually led to the nonprofit sector. Keesha has built teams and led in everything from churches to community centers led to the for-profit space, coaching companies like McDonalds, Walgreens, Hilton, WalMart, Target, Brookdale, Olive Garden and Fedex. Keesha has brought her expertise, experience, and compelling delivery to inspire and unlock potential in companies of all sizes.